


Some Time Away

by Lunarium



Category: A Redtail's Dream (Webcomic)
Genre: Gen, Post-Canon, Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-15
Updated: 2017-01-15
Packaged: 2018-09-17 16:01:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9332591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunarium/pseuds/Lunarium
Summary: Tuomi learns that he’s not the only one learning to be less angry at the world.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> Set right at the end of the canon, based on the page 555.

The deafening roar startled the little rabbit, and it went dashing away. Tumoi frowned, for a moment at all the pieces of carrot he had laid out for his friend, then glared around himself for the source of the interruption, surprised to catch his sister’s car in his peripheral vision. The car’s engine, shrieking, soon spluttered before it went dead on the road. With a scream, Paju popped out of the car, slamming the door, then gave it a good pounding with her boot before marching towards the front of the car. Propping the hood open, she set to work, grumbling and cursing under her breath. Tuomi caught the mention of the name “Hannu” a few times. 

He debated telling her off for scaring away his only friend; he really enjoyed the solitude provided by the forest, but he was also both angry and curious over his sister’s actions. This road led out of the village of Hokanniemi, and he could not imagine why she was planning on doing that and while in such a mood. 

“What’s gotten into you now?” Tuomi called out. “I was feeding the rabbits in the forest and now you scared them all off.” 

“Did I? Sorry.” She didn’t mean it. “It’s that damn Hannu. Nothing’s been the same since Ville stopped over! Now I hear Ville-the-dog _wasn’t_ with his parents, but dead this whole time, can you believe it? It’s like something passed over our heads that night and just—twisted everything!” To give emphasis she pounded on the car right above the headlight. 

No point in arguing with her. Tuomi felt the same. He wasn’t sure if it was during their quarrel over where his friends and him sat that evening, or perhaps one of his friends was dumb enough to sit on it, but his guitar had broken that night. But he wasn’t sad. It was like some odd revelation had come over him. He wanted an instrument with a lighter sound, and since then he carried a kantele which he played in the forest so his friends (or whatever they were to him by this point) couldn’t make fun of him. 

And the peace here. He didn’t know why he missed the peace of the forest. When he had found it, it was like coming back home, although he was sure he never even hiked in the woods before. He hated nature. 

“So where are you going?” He was half-hoping Paju would leave and return with an axe to hack off Ville, but he was sure the more viable answer was that she was going to find his parents and get to the bottom of this weirdness. 

But it was neither of those. 

“I’m leaving the village for a few hours,” Paju said. “I’ve been doing that from time to time ever since that evening. I need some time off to just think, blow off steam. There’s a library I enjoy going to, a few cafés, some shops. Every time things feel weird here I go out there just to breathe.” 

There was a mighty sound as the car roared back into life. Paju grinned and set the hood down. “Want to come with me?” 

“Leave this stupid village?” He didn’t have to think two seconds on it. “Of course!” 

Paju motioned for him to get into the car as she made her way back. After they settled down, he motioned to the radio. “But I pick the station.” 

Paju snorted. “Fine.” 

“And I can eat as much as I want.” 

“If it gets your mind off your problems, be my guest.” 

“And you pay?” 

“You’re pushing it, pal.” 

Tuomi grinned. Perhaps the first time since…ages. He glanced out of the window, spotting one of the rabbits making its way back to the handful of carrots he had laid out for them. Maybe, he realized, some day he would stop being angry at the world, a little at a time. A few lessons from his big sister could be the first step towards it. 

Paju switched gear into drive, and they were off down the road towards their little vacation.


End file.
